Do prostitutes go to Hell?

depends by Religion … well the only fact that makes you think at them going to hell is the government that doesnt let them prostitute because they wont get no taxes from there profits…

“God sent his son, Jesus. hE was brutally tortured and then died. When he arose three days later, the world was saved. “

During that time period, if you claimed the Earth wasn’t in the center of the universe you’d be crucified. And sorry but Mary was not a Virgin! . And yeah he was witnessed rising from the dead, could have been made up like any other clearly mythical, and proven inaccurate story in the Bible. I’m sure he was a nice guy, but Still doesn’t mean he’s a son of some imaginary God! The creator of the universe is not a life-force. Everything in the universe, including life given time and certain conditions, is nothing but chemistry. And if “Gods” are anything they’re not “magical” probably just an advanced race from another planet, … self-replicating molecules, the Earth and the universe we live in.

And no, prostitutes don’t go to hell, because it doesn’t exist. Just a story.

prostitutes are human being too. Then if god forgive our sins for his reason then why not the prostitute. I have read all these issues and I believe that god know all and the bible if read will be of much help. read revelation from the beginning to the end. and in the past all things shall be forgotten uf we believe that jesus is lord. how do you know if christ was faslely acussed or was god knowing sacrifice his only begotten son that who soever belive in him shall have everlasting life. he also says in his fathers house the are amny mansion I will go and prepare one for you. Roman is the best book also for faith because it is a substance not and drug addiction and it is not to be abused. by you mme or for that reason anyone professing to be a christian. God will have the final say

Realw, I must admit that I think I Like you. You’re honest and you make me work. If I read you correctly you address 5 points in your last response. I think that I can address those points also. Unfortunately, it will take another long post.

1. You accept no authority other than the Bible. I submit to you that the authors of the Bible (and the God that inspired it) never intended for it to be the only authority that we accept. I submit that the real authority is the “deposit of faith” (the phrase that refers to everything that Christ taught his disciples, not just what’s in the books of the Bible). Consider the following scriptures.

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, TEACHING them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt. 28:18-20 emphasis added). It is important to note that he does not tell his disciples to write anything down anywhere in the Gospel, and he himself writes nothing (except in the case of the woman caught in adultery, but even there we don’t know what it is that he wrote). However, he does tell his disciples to go and teach.

“There are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

“Therefore brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours” (2 Thes. 2:15).

“O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you [also translated “the deposit”]” (1Tim. 6:20).

“Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my heavenly Father. And I say to you, you are Peter [kephas in Aramaic rock in English] and upon this rock I will build my Church, AND THE GATES OF THE NETHERWORLD SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT. I WILL GIVE YOU THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM. WHATEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN; AND WHATEVER YOU LOOSE ON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSE IN HEAVEN” (Mt. 16:17-19 emphasis added).

Addressed to the Apostles: “Amen, I say to you,whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt. 18:18).

“This is how one should regard us [the Apostles] as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1)

Paul refers to the Chruch as the “pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).

“In those days Peter stood up among the brethren and said, ‘Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide for those who arrested Jesus. For he numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry…

“’For it is written in the book of Psalms, “Let his habitation be desolate, and let there be no one to live in it”; and “his office [original KJV reads ‘bishopric’] let another take”

“’So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning with the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us – one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection. And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place of in this ministry of apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place’” (Acts 1: 15-17, 20-25).

What does all this mean?

I believe in the Bible. I believe that it is inspired. I believe that it conveys the holy Word of God. But I also believe, first and foremost, that Christ himself is God’s Word: his only Word. “In giving us his Son, his only word (for he posses no other), he spoke everything to us as once in his sole word—and he has no more to say” (St. John of the Cross “Ascent to Mount Carmel” as quoted in CCC 65).

The Bible is divine revelation to be sure, but it is not the fullness of Revelation. Only Christ is the fullness of Revelation. He is the one source of all knowledge, because he himself is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (see John 14:6).

I don’t deny that the Bible inspired by God, and useful for teaching and the refutation of error, as is evidenced by my posts thus far (see 2 Tim 3:16). I am saying that there was more to Christ than what was written (see John 21:25). We need to be concerned, not only with what was written in the scriptures, but everything that the Apostles taught by word of mouth (see 2 Thes 2:15)

Together the scriptures and Traditions constitute the “deposit of faith” which is everything that Christ taught on Earth. That does not mean that we believe in ongoing Revelation. The Catholic Church confesses that all public revelation ended with the death of John the Evangelist. However, There are certain articles of faith that the Church has taught from the beginning that have not been codified. Therefore, we as Christians need to do our best to determine the practices and Traditions of the early Church: the first Christians after the Bible was written.

Who has the authority to teach with authority on issues of faith and morals? The answer is the Apostles, because they have receive a special charism (gift of the Holy Spirit) to bind and loose on earth and in heaven. Over the centuries, we have understood that to mean that, on matters of faith and morals, the Holy Spirit would protect them from error for the sake of the promise that Christ made to them in the Gospel of Matthew.

Furthermore, we assert that they intended to pass on that authority and that charism to their successors. The early Church Father St. Clement of Rome bears witness to that understanding in a letter that he wrote in the 1st century AD and I quoted in my last post. The Scriptures also witness to the concept of “Apostolic Succession” in Acts 1:15-25 and 2 Timothy 1:6-14.

Therefore, the Church asserts that the magisterium (magisterium = the pope + the bishops in union with him) has the authority bind and loose on earth and in heaven just as Christ guaranteed to his Apostles. We assert that they Apostles, who had that authority, passed it on to their successors, and we make this claim with both scriptural and historical evidence to support it.

Where does the Catechism fit in to all this? It is the a compilation of the combined wisdom and knowledge of the Church throughout the centuries, that was compiled as the direction and under the guidance of the magisterium and carries with it their seal of approval complete with the guarantee to be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

For further reading on the understanding of the Bible and Revelation, I suggest the a document from the Second Vatican Council, “Dei Verbum: the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation.” (http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html) It is very short, less than 20 pages.

My answers to the other 4 points will be much shorter

2. You are correct; the Jews did honor the Sabbath as the seventh day of the week. As Christians, keeping the Sunday rest does honor to the God the Father for his new creation in Christ, and fulfills the commandment to honor the Sabbath day. On this point, I think we are in agreement.

3. On the topic of priesthood: Eternally speaking there is only one priest and that is Christ Jesus. We agree that all Christians share in the priesthood of Christ; we are a “holy nation” and a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet 2:9).

Christ also chose 12 Apostles to serve a different function than that of the whole people. St Paul observes in his first letter to the Corinthians that they were chosen 1st and have a special role in the Church, the Body of Christ (see 1 Cor. 12:27-31).

The role that he gave to the Apostles as a group (and in a special way to St. Peter) was to have the authority to bind and loose, to forgive sins and to consecrate the Eucharist “in persona Christi capitis” (translation: in the person of Christ the head; see Mt. 16:17-19; 18:18; Jn 20:21-23; Lk 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Mt. 10:40-11:1).

The Apostles were members of the body of Christ. As such they share in the one priesthood of Christ. However, because of the nature of their office, their priesthood is distinct from that of the rest of the people. That does not mean that we believe that they are superior to the others, just different (see 1547). They are “ordered one to another” as the members of the one body of Christ (see “Lumen Gentium” article 2 from Vatican 2).

4. Baptism by desire: The reason that I chose that particular passage from Matthew 25 is because some Bible translations include the line “When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? Indeed I have not beheld you until this very day.” As I look through my own bible again, I see that it does not have that line, but I have seen it in other translations.

That line would demonstrate the principle that even those who had not known Christ could still be saved based on their disposition at the time of their judgment (I.e. they would have accepted the Gospel if they had heard it.) Those who, through no fault of their own, have not heard the Gospel message cannot be held accountable to it word for word, but only to the law that God has “written on their hearts.”

Those people who were judged may fall into that category. Even with that line omitted, there is other scriptural evidence to demonstrate the principle. For instance St Paul observes in the letter to the Romans:

“When Gentiles who do not have the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my Gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:14-16).

Also there is a classic Biblical example of Baptism by desire that does not include Baptism with water. That is the example of the good criminal who dies on the cross next to Jesus. He had presumably not heard the Gospel message, yet in his recognition of Christ’s innocence and his own guilt, Jesus assures him that “today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:39-43). I meant to include that example before, but I forgot.

5. Finally, Adultery. I did not mean to insult your intelligence or imply that you are unaware of the definition of adultery in its definition. I am also sorry to hear about your wife’s infidelity.

My reason for mentioning adultery to begin with and again in my second post is that the commandment against adultery is the one that includes all sexual sin, because sex, the one flesh union, is the outward visible sign in the Sacrament of Marriage. All sexual sin is therefore a sin against the commandment against adultery because it involves the profaning of the Sacrament of Marriage.

The Catholic understanding is that throughout his earthly ministry, Christ extended the “law” beyond its mere legalistic interpretations that the Pharisees had been employing. He brought the law back to the level of a Sacred family bond between God the Father and mankind.

The 10 commandments, including the prohibition against adultery, are the starting point for this extension. “Thou shalt not…” becomes Love the Lord with all you heart/soul/mind/strength and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Those parts were already there in the Old Testament to be sure, but as St. Augustine observed “the New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New.”

It is based on this commandment that St. Paul writes: “The body is not meant for immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body…Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not understand that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one.” But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:13-20).

And with that, I end right back on topic (sort of) with prostitutes and the nature of the sin.

Shaq, if you’re still reading, my hat is off to you. I seriously suggest finding a good religious leader/ youth minister in your area to talk to that can help explain these things to you. If you wish, you may funmail me if you think I can help.

to address several of previous comments To aarthur01-…the reason they may have been willing to die for a lie is extremely simple…tehy did not feel it was a lie. But just because you don’t believe someone is lieing to you does not mean that they are not or that they themselves do not blieve their own lie. Charismatic people have been manipulating people since time began…a good example is adolf hitler…they only reason he’s not still around is not everyone fit into his little group and people tend to fight pretty damn hard to live they way they want. HOPE is also another major factor. HOPE that all they had to do to find eternal wealth, happiness and life was someone elses sacrafice. The bible it’s slef is a bunch of storys (whether or true or not is not my point so get off it) that a group of old men( considered wise back when using leeches was supposed to help bring out “bad” blood and only leave good blood…because apparantly no one was smart enough to ask themselves how a tiny bloodsucking bug would know the diffrence)sat around and decided should be made into a book…some stories were not included because these oh so wise old men felt they sent the wrong message whether they were true or not…also the orginal manuscripts have long been lost and the original meaning and the truly correct translations have been lost even longer. I don’t know anyone who reads the languages they wrote in back then nor have I ever talked to a preacher, priest, or minister who did or even tried.they are all to happy to believe someone else did a good job and they work with it(perspective IS everything). The orginal bible has been altered and adapted by mankind since it came out, to suit their(mankinds) purposes (usually political) its like when the emporers said they had a right to rule because god (whichever was popular for the moment) made them the first born with all the knowledge wisdom, and power they would need to rule. if you will take a look at history christianity is simply a phase. in another millinium barely anyone will follow it. It will be considered obsolete and for those of you thinking I will always have faith in the ‘lord’ remember that when you tell a Wiccan(the old religion) or jewish practioner that. They have been around even longer. Each religion has had its time wiccans were powerful and judism was powerful just as christianity is now…and depending on what the people who rule believe is whats considered true. when the romans were in power it was christiantiy persecuted until Emporer Constantine said I believe in Christianity…then it became the religion to follow and everyone else was persecuted. Christianity will fall just like all the others(not to say they won’t always have followers just that it will no longer dominate)…to believe or not to believe is simply a matter of choice…and telling people over and over and over that if you don’t believe and submit will get you everlasting damnation is called brainwashing and intimidation and forcing your beliefs onto others and is wrong no matter how you look at it! if you believe it good for you… As for whether or not prostitiutes go to hell I don’t think the almighty fluffy god who is discribed as Omni-Benevolent will condemn anyone to hell. Kinda goes against omni-benevolent and would only prove the bible and the entire christian faith a lie.

The short answer is, only God knows. I know that sounds like a cop out, but allow me to explain.

In order for a person to go to hell, they have to commit a mortal sin and don’t repent before they die. A mortal sin has 3 parts, grave matter, sufficient knowledge, and full consent of the will, all of which have to be present. If any piece is missing, then it is not a mortal sin I.e. you won’t go to hell.

The 1st part: the act committed has to be “grave matter”. That means that it has to violate one of the 10 commandments (broadly interpereted). Prostitution is forbidden in the Bible, (both old and new testaments). It violates the 6th commandment (thou shalt not commit adultery) and the 9th commandment (thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife). So it is grave matter.

2nd part, sufficeint knowledge: you have to know that what you’re doing is wrong. Only God knows what a person knows. That’s one reason that I say that no one really knows where any person is going except God and the person in question.

3rd part, full consent of the will: you have to know that what you’re doing is wrong, and make a DECISION to do it anyway. No one can force you to commit a mortal sin.

Also, there can be certain mitigating factors that lessen the severity of a given act. Some sins can be habitual which lessens culpability (accountability). Or there could be certain psychological factors or other mental illnesses.

In the case of prostitution, many people are “stuck.” Many are addicted to drugs and some fear for their lives and their safety. I am not qualified to judge the specific circumstances of any individual. Furthermore, Christ says, “judge not lest ye be judged”.

Note: when Christ preached, he decided to preach to prostitutes and theives. He even said that they would enter heaven instead of the “holy” people of the times. He did say that adultery and lust in the heart are seriously sinful, he came to forgive our sins if we are ready to accept the gift of his mercy. It is possible for someone to repent even on your deathbed and go to heaven.

Also interesting, is the fact that Jesus gave his Apostles the authority to forgive sins (John 20:22-23). They passed that authority on their succesors, who are the modern day Catholic bishops. The bishops in turn have passed that authority on to the priests, which is why Catholics confess their sins the the priests, who forgive them based on the authority that Christ gave to the Apostles.

Take care.

I got it from the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ Ah, So your quoting from a book other than the Bible. I Except No Authority other that the Bible. Same with most others here. Sabbath is the seventh day of the week the jews are to keep it holy. Christians are to keep the day Christ rose from the grave Holy which is SUNDAY( the first day of the week.). the Catechism is a man made document It only has the authority of a man to name a mans priesthood. Only Jesus ( The High priest of all Christians) Can name his priest and he names all his “Common” followers as priest, not a group of men authorized by a book of man. And I know well exactly what Adultery is since I studyed the meaning of the word in depth before I divorced my Wife for her Adultery, Wanting to make sure it was on Biblical grounds and not manmade ones. And I never said fornication was not a sin. . . An unmarried woman and an unmarried man cannot be quilty of adultery together but fornication. Never heard of Baptism of desire only of Water and the Holy spirit and Baptism of the holy spirit still requires Baptism of Water, and I find nothing about Baptism in any way shape or form in Mt. 25:31-46.

aarthur, on what authority do you conclude that people were killed for claiming Jesus rose from the dead? Even the Bible makes no such outrageous claim, and it’s full of outrageous claims!

You’ve bought into a blatant and easily refuted lie. Just read any of the works of the early church fathers…Marcion, Origen, hell, even read Tertullian. None of them mention anything like what you are claiming. The simple fact is, Rome was polytheistic, and considered Christianity just another of many religions. There is no credible evidence of systematic persecution of the early Church.

Fortunately, I didn’t attend a religious school that taught church propaganda as history, so it wasn’t necessary to be asleep to miss out on your ‘facts’, rnealw.

By the way, have you bothered to read up on the writings of the early church fathers yet? Obviously not, or you would have to admit they make no mention of the wide spread persecutions you claim.

rnealw, I call your wiki links and raise you Origen and Tertullian. Where do they mention such widespread persecutions? Anyone can write a wiki.

Nebula, consider the following:

The people who witnessed Jesus’ rising from the dead were killed for what they said. For the next 300 years, being a Christian carried a death sentence. What incentive would they have to lie?

I personally don’t know anyone who would be willing to die for a lie.

Doctors, firemen, teachers all go to hell, it’s nothing to do with your job. It’s if you’re a Christian. (assuming this question is referring to the Christian theology)

lmao well I dont beleive in either (heaven, hell…or god) I dont think they do, no one does but after yo die your soul/spirit lives on I dont particualry like prositutes but hey, its there life, thats what they do for a living

Toadaly. . . . Have you never studied World History. . . It is well recorded in the History of the roman empire. . . . The records of the Roman government actually Recorded it. . . http://patriot.net/~carey/afa/latinclub/persecution.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians#Persecution_of_early_Christians_in_the_Roman_Empire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians#Persecution_of_early_Christians_in_the_Roman_Empire I don’t know about the 300 years but I do know it was a penalty of death for a good amount of time. . . Your answers Toadaly are a good Example of Modern day Christian persecution. . . . . but it’s ok we will still pray for you.

Listen to someone who knows– I have been a Christian for life, and LOVING IT!!! Why? Only because God loves me no matter what I do as long as I repent. God sent his son, Jesus. hE was brutally tortured and then died. When he arose three days later, the world was saved. Now, anyone who believes in God and says yes to the gift of salvation will be saved. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SAY YES! Now, don’t feel below all the people like me who have known God their whole lives, God loves you guys just as much. So think about it. want the Creator f the universe to be your guardian and father?

um. . . Amblessed If you read it again Only Blaspheme against the Holy spirit is unforgivable. . . . aarthur001 you have to be married to Commit adultery otherwise it’s called fornication. and I guess I’m guilty of breaking the Sabbeth since I never practice keeping Saturday as a holy day. And where did you get that 3 parts of sin stuff? Sin is a sin whether we know we did it or not. . . That’s what grace it for. And according to this verse all Christians are priest. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1Pe 2:9)

By the way, have you bothered to read up on the writings of the early church fathers yet? Obviously not, or you would have to admit they make no mention of the wide spread persecutions you claim.

I went to public school. . . We studied it in History class. . . . . . imagine studying something like that in a public school. . . . And I have read some stuff of early members of the church. . . . . kinda boring. . . . . But anyway this is way off topic so it must be locked. . . Have a good day. And GOD BLESS. . . .

Well we all start out as sinners and are given the chance to be forgiven by god. I think if a prostitue stop doing what they did and asked to be forgiven they would but if they kept on doing bad things then they would not

I don’t believe anyone goes anywhere - exept for in the dirt Statistic - % of prostitutes were abused, or have other problems. maybe instead of talking about criminals, we should be talking about stopping abuse! An estimated 906,000 children are victims of abuse & neglect every year.

Composition of substantiated child abuse in 2000: 879,000 children were victims of child maltreatment. Neglect ~ 63% Physical ~ 19% Sexual ~ 10% Psychological ~ 8%

Statistic - Approximately 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused.

no, I don’t believe they do.

Thanks for giving us a great example of sleeping thru History class toadaly.

They do like everyone else. And the Bible does condem prostitution.

who cares you just have cex with them thats all I car abot

Don’t know, but they do go to jail (except for in parts of Nevada).

We tend to simplify the Christian message into ‘good people go to Heaven, bad people go to Hell.’ That’s not the way it is in the Bible, as lots of people have already said here. A prostitute who has acepted Jesus’ death for her- or himself, and repented (regardless of when they did that or what has happened before or since) has exactly the same status before God as a teacher, fireman or poet who has done the same thing. Once we have repented and accepted Jesus as Lord, Christians believe that we are seen by God as Jesus is - free of sin because He has taken our place. That’s what makes us go to Heaven. We’re no longer qualified for Hell by our own behaviour, but qualified for Heaven by our Lord’s.

My agree from my age point to all the answer that I read and about church which one would you be speaking about,because I can remeber church begin in my home

No.

is it the will of god almighty? do what is good for your god and be holy

Nobody goes to Hell, because Hell doesn’t exist.

To shaq: I see by your profile that you are still quite young. All this debate may seem confusing to you, and you may not know what to believe. I recommend that you do your best to learn as much as you can about God and Christian teachings. Find a reliable priest/minister. They will be able to explain it better than we are doing here, and they may be able to answer specific questions that you may have.

Now, for the rest of the people who have posted, there are many excellent issues raised here and I want to try to address them all.

Warning: this is a very long post.

realw: you asked where I got the threefold criteria for sin. If you look closely at the post, you will notice that I said that those were the requirements for a “mortal” sin. There is a distinction between “mortal” sin and less serious sins (called “venial” sins).

I should have qualified the statement that I made before. I said that in order for a person to go to hell, he/she has to commit a mortal sin. I should have said that that person has to commit that mortal sin after baptism. That is the initial “initiation” into the Christian family. (“Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit”” (John 3:5).)

You asked me where I got all this “sin has three parts stuff”. I said that “mortal” sin has three parts. I got it from the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” paragraphs 1749-1775 and 1846-1876. Now before everyone starts posting all the problems that they think they have with Catholic theology, allow me to expain what it actually says first.
(Ideally, everyone who wants to tell me their problems with Catholic theology would read the Catechism before they do. That way they could have specific objections to specific doctrines as worded and described in the ACTUAL teachings of the Church instead of what they think the Church teaches. Unfortunatley, this is not an ideal world.)

It says that man is saved by the Grace of God. It also says that there are 2 types of Grace. The Holy Spirit gives each person the Grace necessary to accept or reject God’s will, which is love and mercy itself. That type of Grace is called “actual grace.” It is purely God’s initiative. It is the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit working in each individual’s life to bring him or her to the point of being able to accept or reject God’s gift of salvation. The Church teaches that rejection of that gift of salvation is “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” and is the unforgivable sin (as both realw and amblessed already pointed out and cited). The teachings on Grace, justification, merit, etc. are contained in the CCC paragraphs 1987-2029.

The other kind of Grace is called “Sanctifying Grace.” That is the divine life within you. It is the “wedding garment” with which one must be clothed for the wedding feast (see Mt. 22:1-14). That Grace is what mankind lost with original sin. Christ, in reconcilling man to God on the cross, made it possible for man to share in this divine life and become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). It is this Sanctifying Grace that man regains at Baptism (and is regained or deepened all the sacraments).

Furthermore, the Church teaches that one can lose “sanctifying grace” through the commission of a mortal sin. In order for a sin to be serious enough to warrant the loss of salvation, it must meet all the criteria described above (but are more perfectly explained in the Catechism complete with scriptural citations). Having “sanctifying grace” is also referred to as “being in a state of grace”.

The concept of one being able to lose salvation after baptism (or being “born again” as the Scriptures describe it) is not a new concept, and there is ample scriptural evidence to support it.

Our faith saves us, and good works come from sincere faith. ‘faith by itself if it has no works, is dead.’ (James 2:17) Someone who accepts Christ will follow his teachings: ‘If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love… This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you… You are my friends if you do what I command you.’ (John 15:10-14) Saying that you believe is not enough; ‘Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father.’ (Mt. 7:21 ff)

This does not mean that our works ‘earn’ our way to heaven, because our faith and its response are a gift from God. However, it does mean that if you hear the word of God, it has to take root in your heart and “bear good fruit” as the parable of the sower says (see Mt. 13:12-23; see also Lk. 43-45). Jesus points out that each branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off (John 15). If we don’t make an effort to feed the hungry, clothe the naked etc., we will be dismissed from the kingdom (Matthew 25). If we don’t have good works than our faith is dead.

The merciful will receive mercy, but the unmerciful person does not have that same guarantee. In fact, that person in subject to even stricter judgment if he/she has already accepted the mercy of God (see Mt. 18:21-35). Christ even goes so far as to hold us to the highest standard possible. He tells us to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48).

I am getting slightly off topic, but I wanted to put that in especially for flossheal and others who may be proponents of the “once saved always saved” theology.

Getting back to Grace, sin, heaven and hell. In order for a sin (either committed or omitted) to be “mortal” or capable of killing us (sending us to hell), it has to meet the 3-fold criteria. If you consider God in his justice, he has to abide by those 3 criteria if for no better reason than the fact that it would be unjust not to.

It’s true that an action may be seriously sinful, but if a person honestly doesn’t know the gravity of a particular action, then they can’t be held responsible for it. Likewise, if a person does not have full consent of their will, when they commit a particular sin, then they can’t be sent to hell. God in his justice allows hell to exist because those who are there actively chose to be there of their own free will. “The door is locked from the inside,” so to speak.

In answer to one of the many concerns that realw had: yes, bad actions are still bad whether one knows how bad they are or not. Sins can still be sins whether the person knows it or not, but a person can not be held responsible for something that they honestly did not know “through no fault of their own” (see CCC 1776-1802).

Also, if you read my original post, I also said that a person can only go to hell if they do not repent before they die. That means that a person has to be “contrite” (sorry) for the sin(s). God continues to offer his mercy throughout our earthly life. Rejecting the grace to repent of a sin (actual grace) would constitute “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” as I have already discussed. Repentance is possible, but it requires “contrition”

The Church has identified two types of contrition: perfect and imperfect. Perfect contrition means that you are sorry for your sins for the perfect reason: because you have offended God. If a person is “perfectly contrite”, then that person will be forgiven of their sins and enter into paradise. All sins are forgivable accept the refusal to accept the gift of forgiveness (again, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit).

The other type of contrition, imperfect contrition, is slightly different. It means that you are sorry for your sins, not because they have offended God, but because you’re sorry you’re going to hell. To quote Gone with the Wind: “You’re like the thief who’s not the least bit sorry he stole, but extremely sorry he’s going to jail.” It is still contrition, as imperfect as it is and must be treated in a special way.

Here, it is important to point out that we, as humans, are not qualified to judge the state of anyone’s soul but our own. I cannot say whether or not a person has perfect or imperfect contrition, nor can I say that any individual is in a state of mortal sin or in a state of grace.

That being said, Christ gave us a way in which people who have “imperfect contrition” can be forgiven of their sins, even mortal sins. “[Jesus] breathed on [the Apostles] and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained’” (Jn 20:22-23). The Apostles passed on their authority to forgive sins to their successors, the bishops, who, in turn, passed it down in a line of unbroken succession to the modern day Catholic and Eastern Orthodox priests.

Those priests have the authority to forgive sins based on the Blessing that the Original Apostle’s received from Christ. They forgive the sins that people ask them to forgive: thus the practice of confession. Before they forgive (absolve) the sins, they require the penitent to make an “act of contrition” and trust that the penitent was truthful. The act of contrition must include a firm purpose of amendment. (Ex. Lord, I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and avoid the near occasion of sin).

This authority, that the priests have to forgive sins, comes down through “Apostolic Succession.” As St Clement of Rome wrote in the 1st century:

“In order that the mission entrusted to the might be continued after their death, the Apostles consigned, by will and testament, as it were, to their immediate collaborators the duty of completing and consolidating the work they had begun, urging them to tend the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit had appointed them to shepherd the Church of God. They accordingly designated such men and then made the ruling that likewise on their death other proven men should take over their ministry.” (Ad. Cor. 42, 44 PG1, 291-300; CCC 861; see also Acts 1:15-26)

In response to realw’s observation that all Christians are priests and his citation from St. Peter: he is absolutely 100% correct. All members of the Christian faithful are members of what the Catechism refers to as “the common priesthood” citing that exact same biblical passage as realw.

The Catechism also makes a distinction between the common priesthood and the ordained priesthood, noting that the ministerial priesthood is different from the common priesthood, “not in degree but in essence.” (Essence here is meant in the classic philosophical/metaphysical sense of the word. It refers to the intrinsic “nature” of a thing, in this case the priesthood.)

The ministerial or “ordained” priesthood is different from the priesthood of all believers. The ordained priest is not “more of a priest” than other Christian faithful, but he is a different kind of priest. The late Pope John Paul 2 noted in his Exhortation Christifideles Laici (Lay members or Christ’s Faithful People) that the ministerial priesthood is distinct from the common priesthood and is oriented towards it.

As it happens, one of the faculties that the ordained priests have is the authority to forgive sins for those who ask, provided that they have contrition. They forgive with the authority of Christ, because he is the one that instituted that faculty in the first place.

Eternally speaking, there is only one priest: Jesus Christ. He is the High Priest and perfect victim. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the ordained priest participates in the one priesthood of Christ, just as all Christian faithful share in Christ priesthood when they offer themselves and their daily activities to the Lord, forgiving others and “building up the Body of Christ” (see Col. 1:24).

Some people will inevitably say that it Christians can just confess their sins to God and he will forgive them of their sins. That is correct, provided that that person has “perfect contrition.” Inside the Sacrament of Reconciliation, imperfect contrition suffices. Outside the Sacrament, there is no such guarantee.

Realw had several other points that I want to address, starting with adultery. It is true in the strictest sense of the word that in order for a person to commit adultery, he or she would have to be married. However, if you look at the context in which the statement I cited above was made, you may have to think about it more deeply.

First that statement (He who looks at a woman with lust had already committed adultery) was a part of the Sermon on the Mount. In that series of teachings, Jesus expanded the commandments beyond the mere legalistic sense, and extended them in ways that the ancient Jews (particularly the Sadducees) never would have imagined.

Furthermore, Christ did say that fornication is seriously evil in another place in scripture: Mark 7:20-23. St. Paul is also outspoken about the issues of sexual morality (see Rom. 12:1-3; 13:12-14; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 6:12-20; Gal. 5:16-26; Eph. 4:1-5:33).

Next, the issue of the Sabbath celebrated on Saturday: We are indeed required to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. From the very beginning, Christians have recognized Sunday as the day deserving the honor of the Sabbath (see the “Decalogue” written in the first century as well as the letter from the Roman centurion Pleny in AD 112). Sunday is the day that Christ rose from the dead (see Mk 16:1). All this is outlined in the CCC paragraphs 2168-2195.

Finally, for peacemakin. You bring up a good point when you say that some people can’t “accept Jesus as their lord and savior when they have no knowledge of it.” The Church teaches that people who “through no fault of their own” can in fact go to heaven if they would have accepted Christ had they known. This is what is called “Baptism by desire” (see CCC 1258-1260; see also Mt. 25:31-46). Only God knows the state of any individual soul, and we as human are not qualified to judge each other. However, it is possible for a given person to know the state of his or her own soul with the teachings of the Church as a guide.

The Bible says there is only One unforgivable sin - the sin of “Blasphemy’ - which means: - impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things - an act of cursing or reviling God - the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God - irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc. - Synonyms 1. profanity, cursing, swearing; sacrilege, impiety:

Matthew 12:31-32. Jesus was busy performing miracles, including driving demons out of possessed people by calling on the power of the Holy Spirit. The religious leaders of the day were accusing Him of using the power of the devil to drive out the demons. They refused to recognize the true source of Jesus’ power. >>> Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” <<<

Hope this helps !!